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DAA Blog

2016 BLOG POSTS

By Lou Mastria

“We’re so focused all the time on eliminating the bad, and we forget that there’s a lot that’s good about what we do in digital advertising, and what we’re able to do using interest-based advertising and the data that we collect,” said moderator Nancy Hill, president and chief executive officer, 4A’s, during Digital Advertising Alliance Summit 2016 in Silicon Beach, Los Angeles. Data can inform location, preferences, habits, and much more, she said. Consequently, that knowledge can be used for many purposes – including social responsibility.

Take for example, the award-winning FIA [Federation for Internet Alerts], a public safety initiative.

“The Federation for Internet Alerts is really the fruition of competitors that have come together and said, ‘You know, we can serve an ad in real time and it can be relevant, but what if there’s a tornado. What can we do?’ It’s a simple mission to leverage our technology for good and give our consumers true relevancy,” said Jason Bier, president, Federation for Internet Alerts, and executive vice president, general counsel and chief privacy officer, Engine Media Group. Bier explained, “We use the technology to get the messages to people who need it the...

By Lou Mastria

Self-regulatory industry education and enforcement of Digital Advertising Alliance Principles have the flexibility to keep up with the constantly changing media platforms and the resulting novel formats for interest-based advertising. To meet this ongoing challenge, the DAA Program and its Accountability Partners [Direct Marketing Association and Council of Better Business Bureaus] provide casework that serves as an evergreen resource to all participants in the advertising ecosystem. Each DAA enforcement represents a learning experience, not only for the companies involved but for all stakeholders. Accountability builds a stronger marketplace by building understanding and trust between companies and the consumers with whom they engage.

“I don’t think there’s another self-regulatory program or industry that has more cops on the beat,” said Michael Signorelli, partner, Venable LLP and counsel, Digital Advertising Alliance, who moderated the panel. “We have the BBB, the DMA, and the NAI [DAA co-founding association Network Advertising Initiative] all helping us ensure that we have responsible data practices.” NAI CEO Leigh Freund introduced the panel discussion.

By By Lou Mastria

[PHOTO: During DAA Summit 2016, DAA General Counsel Stu Ingis discusses the state of self-regulation and current Federal Trade Commission priorities with Maneesha Mithal of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection.]

“Not everyone realizes that one of the key partners of the DAA is the FTC,” said Stuart Ingis, partner, Venable LLP and general counsel, Digital Advertising Alliance, as he moderated a highly interactive policy discussion at the DAA Summit 2016 in Silicon Beach, Los Angeles. “We appreciate all that the Commission has done — and we’d like to hear about the agenda and continued partnership with the DAA.”

FTC Agenda at-a-Glance

According to speaker Maneesha Mithal, associate director, division of privacy and identity protection, Bureau of Consumer Protection, Federal Trade Commission, the FTC’s attention over the coming months will be focused on three main topic areas: sensitive information, big data, and the Internet of Things (IoT). “We feel that is where we at the FTC should be focusing a lot of our resources… and we...

"This announcement shows once again why robust self-regulatory regimes can be so effective and adaptable. The cross-device ecosystem has exploded in recent years, and - with this announcement - the DAA has moved quickly to ensure that the application of its Principles has kept pace with those new technologies."

James Edmund Datri, President and CEO, American Advertising Federation

"The digital advertising industry is committed to providing consumers with robust information and choice over the interest-based advertising they receive, across new channels and devices. We are pleased that the DAA continues to demonstrate the value of its Self-Regulatory Principles to millions of consumers now using tablets, smartphones, and other devices."

Bob Liodice, President and CEO, Association of National Advertisers

"Lasting consumer relationships with brands are built on trust, and the DAA program builds that trust by giving consumers information and control over the...

By Lou Mastria

From time to time, we are called upon to offer information about how the DAA self-regulatory process works, along with details about the DAA Principles and program, their scope, and how they are enforced, as well as other points. In the past, we have provided such information in Congressional hearings, Federal Trade Commission proceedings, and worldwide technology standard forums, among other public proceedings.

This past week, we had the opportunity to provide comments to a “new” stakeholder in interest-based advertising (IBA), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), with regard to its notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) on “Protecting the Privacy of Customers of Broadband and Other Telecommunications Services.”

We used the occasion of the FCC’s NPRM to inform and to educate the regulatory body about the successful implementation and adoption of an independently enforced, consumer-focused self-regulatory program unlike anything which has existed before. In our comments to the FCC – posted here – we articulated the flexibility of our self-...